Bundle to reduce ventilator associated events

Nishi Rawat, Ting Yang, Kisha J. Ali et el published a two state multifaceted intervention study showing benefits of improved compliance with evidence based practices can reduce ventilator-associated event, infection-related ventilator- associated complication, and probable ventilator-associated pneumonia. It was a longitudinal quasi-experimental study involving 56 ICUs at 38 hospitals in Maryland and Pennsylvania from October 2012 to March 2015.

PROBLEM

In January 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new surveillance
definitions for ventilator associated events(VAEs). Updated version of these definition is in the picture below. VAEs are associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, increased mortality, antimicrobial use, and ICU, and hospital lengths of stay.

WHAT WAS DONE

All hospitals in
Maryland and Pennsylvania with an adult ICU were invited to participate to implement the following

Head-of-bed elevation (HOB),

Use of subglottic suctioning for endotracheal tubes (Sub-G ETTs),

Oral care (OC) six times per day,

Chlorhexidine mouth care (CHG) two times per day,

Performance of spontaneous awakening trials (SATs), and

Performance of spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs).

RESULTS

The quarterly mean VAE rate significantly decreased from 7.34 cases per 1,000 ventilator-days during the first study quarter to 4.58 cases after 24 months of implementation (p = 0.007).

A statistically significant decrease in VAE rates over time, with an average 6% (95%
CI, 2–9%; p = 0.002) quarterly decrease in the incidence rate

NEWER BUNDLE

The future bundle would incorporate newer interventions based on emerging evidence, and these include the following

Early mobility

Low tidal volume interventions

Conservative fluid and transfusion strategies

LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

Not a randomized study

Duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU, and hospital length of stay, or mortality not studied

Not able to compare participating ICUs with nonparticipating ICUs

No validation of intervention compliance and VAE data

Did not evaluate VAE rates pre- and postintervention

WHICH PART OF BUNDLE WORKED ?

In this study, HOB compliance remained high and Sub-G ETT compliance remained low. By this measure, OC, CHG, SAT, and SBT had the most impact.

BOTTOMLINE

All these interventions are simple, and potentially without significant harm and should be employed by all ICUs.